


The Penguin's Offer

by Riddlebird-puff (hobbitpuff)



Series: Gobblepot Winter 2018 [2]
Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Christmas Party, Dark Jim, Eggnog, Godfather Penguin, M/M, Mayor Oswald Cobblepot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-12
Updated: 2018-12-12
Packaged: 2019-09-16 04:48:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,231
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16947297
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hobbitpuff/pseuds/Riddlebird-puff
Summary: James agrees to guard Mayor Cobblepot's Christmas Eve party and agrees to more than he bargained for.(Not a fluffy Christmas Fic)Written for Gobblepot Winter 2018Eggnog or PartyAuthor doesn't know how to summary..





	The Penguin's Offer

**Author's Note:**

> This fic takes place during Oswald's run as Mayor however in this universe he is still very much a mob boss.

“Remind me, again, why are we here at this freak show?” Harvey grabbed an horderve from a disapproving waiter and plopped the whole thing in his mouth in one bite. “Doesn't the _Mayor_ have his own security staff to handle gatherings like this?”

 _“Mayor_ Cobblepot requested our presence,” Jim reminded him for the third time. “He suspects one of his people of being a spy for the Falcone Family.”

“He requested _your_ presence, Jim-boy,” Harvey laughed too loud. “I think the Penguin just wanted to see you in a tux. Gotta say, he's got good taste in threads.”

“I don't know what you mean,” he spotted Nygma and frowned. He couldn't figure why Oswald trusted him. If there was a spy in his employ it would be Ed Nygma but _Mayor_ Cobblepot had been insistent, Nygma was not to be touched.

“Don't play naive,” Harvey slapped his back. “Penguin's had a crush on you since that day you saved his pathetic little neck on that dock.”

“It isn't like that.. Cobblepot thinks he owes me for sparing him, nothing more,” Jim told him, though it was actually more complicated than that, wasn't it, he thought. “He believes he has some sort of life debt or something.” He thought their lives were connected now.

“Jim.. Jim.. Jim,” Harvey shook his head. “Penguin would lick your shoes clean if you asked him.”

Jim’s mind pictured Oswald kneeling at his feet licking his dress shoes, his hands tied behind his back, and a blindfold over his eyes. He chased the image away- where had _that_ come from.

“Don't be crude,” he chastened Harvey. Nygma was talking to a woman, quite a few years older than him, but still very attractive in the way of the extremely wealthy.

Harvey followed his sight. “Do you think Ed shines Cobblepot’s shoes? He was always something of a boot licker.”

He had heard the rumors, they had spread faster than the time the whole station had come down with food poisoning after eating Harvey's _infamous_ Shepherd’s Pie. That Nygma was shining a lot more than Cobblepot’s shoes.

“Nygma is obviously using Cobblepot,” he said aloud. _If_ only he could prove it.

“I thought you were obsessed with Ed because he got away with murder, but that's not it at all, is it?” Harvey put his arm around his shoulders. “You're just jealous that you're no longer Penguin's _favorite.”_ He laughed.

“I'm _not_ jealous,” Jim hissed and knocked Harvey's arm off of him. “Nygma is up to something and I'm determined to find out what.”

“Never thought I'd see the day you'd fight Nygma for Oswald,” he took out his flask and toasted Jim. “May the best man win. You know what they say about love and war.”

Jim grabbed the flask away from Harvey. “You shouldn't be drinking on duty.”

“One,” he put up a finger, “We are _not_ technically on duty. And two,” he put up another finger. “That has eggnog in it, in the spirit of the holidays and all.”

“Eggnog? No one actually drinks eggnog,” he said in disbelief. He opened the cap and sniffed, it smelled rancid, so _maybe_ it was just eggnog. He took a brief taste and almost gagged. “Is that _whisky_ I taste?”

“Well like you said, no one drinks eggnog on purpose, Jim,” he reached for the flask but Jim put it in his pocket. “Where did Mayor _Penguin_ go anyway?”

Jim was wondering that himself. The last he had seen Oswald he was showing a group of guests the portrait of his mother before disappearing, he had assumed the Mayor had to visit the facilities. But that had been over ten minutes ago, he checked his watch, no, seventeen minutes, he was concerned. But he wasn't _worried._

Nygma laughed at something his companion said to him and left her. One of the guards went up to him and whispered something in his ear. Nygma seemed to argue with the guard, then followed the same path Oswald had taken earlier. The guard climbed the grand staircase.

“Something is happening,” he thought aloud. Nygma was making his move. “I'll follow Nygma, you follow the guard.”

“Geez, Jim, it's _Christmas!”_ Harvey groaned. “Can't you just enjoy the party?”

“Nygma is getting away,” Jim hissed and moved to follow.

“Wait,” Harvey pulled him back by his arm. “Don't do anything _stupid_ here, you got me? Our Ed’s got the Penguin wrapped around his little finger, you pop his favorite boy toy and he'll come after you.”

“You sound almost worried about _Ed-.”_

“I'm worried about you, you hotheaded fool,” Harvey grabbed his head. “You just had to go _fall_ the biggest gangster in Gotham didn't you,” he chuckled.

“I haven't _fallen_ for Penguin,” he scoffed. “Don't be ridiculous.”

“You might be able to fool yourself, but you can't fool me, James,” he lowered his voice. “I know a little something about fallin’ in love with a gangster after all.”

 _Fish Mooney,_ he thought. “Do you still miss her?”

“Everyday,” Harvey sighed. “Gotham ain't the same without her. No offense but Penguin just don't have her style. The city has changed and there's no place for an old man like me in the new Gotham.”

A cop falling in love with a gangster, it was like a joke but he didn't feel like laughing. He didn't love Penguin. He felt responsible for him.

“I'm not going to do anything stupid, Harvey,” he said.

“Famous last words,” he let Jim go. “Fine, go get your Penguin. But if you were smarter than me, you'd walk out that front door and forget all about your Cobblepot.”

“I can't do that.”

“I know… I know… but don't say I didn't warn ye,” Harvey stepped back. “Don't blame me if you catch Ed and Oz having a quickie.”

“Call me if you find anything upstairs,” Jim decided to ignore that last jab. He checked his glock and followed Nygma’s steps.

Harvey was wrong. He didn't have feelings for Oswald, he couldn't have feelings for Oswald. And he absolutely was not in love with him. He thought he had made a wrong turn and missed Nygma but then he heard quiet voices, he followed.

He found Oswald in a study, Nygma from behind him whispered something in his ear. The two men looked intimate, he remembered Harvey's last words. Was it possible they were only looking for a quiet place to spend some time together away from the other guests, he wondered.

“I don't know why he's even here…,” he heard Nygma argue.

“Ah, Jim, my friend,” Oswald looked around Ed. “We were just talking about you.” He turned back to Nygma. “Leave us, Ed. And see that we are not disturbed.”

“I do not like this,” Nygma held Oswald’s shoulder. “You shouldn't trust him, Oswald. If anything were to happen to you-.”

“I trust James, the same I trust you, Ed,” Oswald kissed Nygma on the cheek. “Tell my good _friend,_ Ed here, that he has nothing to worry about, Jim.”

He looked away from the display in embarrassment. He felt like he had caught the two men in a compromising position. There was little doubt in his mind now, Cobblepot and Nygma were _together._ He felt something like regret… he wasn't jealous.

“Oswald will be safe in my care,” he spoke in clipped words, “Nygma.”

“There, you see, you have nothing to worry about,” Oswald kissed his other cheek and released him. “Go and see what Whitfield has discovered.”

“I'll get Gabe to send someone to guard the door,” Nygma stated.

“Are you saying you do not believe I can protect myself, Nygma?” Oswald asked dangerously.

“No- no, of course not, Os- Mayor Cobblepot,” Nygma stammered, reminding Jim of his days as Ed Nygma in forensics. He had always felt kind of bad for that guy, but he felt an odd satisfaction witnessing Nygma being put in his place by Penguin.

“You're dismissed,” Oswald told him. “Close the door as you leave.”

“Of course, Mayor Cobblepot,” Nygma bowed stiffly and glared at Jim on his way out. Jim did not turn around, he heard the door close.

“What was that about?” Jim asked once they were alone.

“My men have found the spy,” Oswald leaned against his desk. “One of the chamber maids, it appears she is in love with a Falcone cousin. She is pregnant with his child.”

“What do you plan to do with her?” Jim felt a chill.

“Nygma will deal with the spy.”

“Like how he dealt with Kristen Kringle?” he demanded. “You know I can't let you-.”

“I remind you, your jurisdiction does not reach here, James,” he said calmly.

“Like _hell_ it doesn't!” Jim had to follow Nygma and stop him before he killed the chamber maid, or tortured her for information about the Falcone Family.

“Do _not_ make me do something I'd regret, _old_ friend,” Oswald spoke without threat.

“For Christ's sake, Oswald!” he turned to Cobblepot. “It’s Christmas, you can't seriously think I'll stand by and let you torture the young woman.”

“I cannot appear weak,” he said, “especially in front of the Falcone Family.”

“She's _pregnant,_ Oswald,” Jim grabbed his arm. “Think of your own mother, she too fell in love with someone she should not have, show some compassion.”

He had been a _bloody_ fool to think he could come into this world. He didn't belong here. Cobblepot and Nygma _deserved_ each other.

“You will _not_ speak of my mother, _you_ of all people,” Oswald knocked his hand away. “I might be a mobster but I'm not a complete _monster.”_

“What will you do with her?”

“There is a center outside of the city that takes in women, Gabe will be taking her there tonight,” Oswald explained. “I hope you understand, I cannot tell you where it is located. For the young woman's safety.”

Jim _wanted_ to believe him.

“I almost forgot that it's Christmas Eve,” Oswald told him. “It is the first since my mother's… death.”

“I'm sorry about what happened, if I could-.”

“Save your platitudes, Jim,” he sat on the desk. “I don't want them. You did what you had to, I would've done the same. If she were still alive I would be with her tonight drinking bad eggnog together and watching It’s A Wonderful Life, it was her favorite movie, she only watched it on Christmas Eve. She had a crush on James Stewart, she would've liked Nygma, I think. Personally I always preferred Paul Newman.”

The reference was not lost on Jim.

“Well, you'll have to supply the movie but we can share this,” he took out Harvey's flask and offered it to Oswald.

“Picking up bad habits from your partner, James?” he held up his hand. “If I wanted a drink, I have bottles worth more than Bullock makes in a year. I desire someone to sit with. It's ironic, I feel more alone in a house full of guests than I ever felt next to my mother.”

Jim sat beside Oswald on the desk.

He unscrewed the flask and toasted Oswald. “Merry Christmas, Oswald,” he took a sip and handed the flask to him.

“Merry Christmas, James,” Oswald toasted him and took a large gulp, and immediately choked. “Well, aren't you full of surprises. Here's to a new tradition of drinking bad eggnog with an _old_ friend.” He picked up a folder on the desk and handed it Jim. “And I too have a gift for you.”

“What is this?” Jim flipped the pages open, the first thing he saw was a professional photograph of a dark haired man smiling at the camera.

“His name is Rico Giordano, his mother is a distant cousin of Roman Falcone, he came to Gotham two years to make a name of himself in the Family,” Oswald explained.

Jim closed the folder and tried to hand it back to him. “I won't do your dirty work for you, Penguin.”

“I thought you might say that,” Oswald flipped to the back of the folder and handed it back. “Officer Charles Kinsley, thirty years on the force, three months from retirement, gunned down and killed in a warehouse robbery gone wrong. A robbery orchestrated by none other than Mr. Rico Giordano Falcone. This isn't _dirty_ work, this is _justice,_ and it is my gift to you. As your Mayor.”  

The spiked eggnog tasted like stale vomit in his mouth.

“I won't kill this man for you, Cobblepot,” he told him.

“You won't have to.” The Penguin's men would do it for him.

Jim remembered Kinsley. He had had a sick wife at home that he was retiring to take care of. Two children, a boy and girl, the girl had been pregnant with his first grandchild when he had been gunned down.

Gotham had a different set of justice.

“I'll find him,” Jim promised. And then whatever happened after would be out of his hands.

“I knew I could _trust_ you, James,” Oswald leaned forward and Jim expected him to kiss his cheek like he had done with Nygma, but instead he kissed him on the lips. “As you can _trust_ me.” He could taste the eggnog on both of their mouths, he deepened the kiss.

Jim felt as though he had just made a deal with the devil and sealed it with a kiss.

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> If you want leave a comment and thank you for reading!
> 
> This is different than I usually write but it was a fun challenge to write mob boss Oswald and dark Jim.
> 
> (Expect more of Harvey & Jim from this writer.. )


End file.
